94 Customs and practices of the Thugs. [July 



fire-places for cooking, are made on the spot. If the party find it neces- 

 sary to decamp, they light fire in the Choolahs, that they may have the 

 appearance of having been used to cook in; should they determine on stay- 

 ing, they use the Choolahs to cook their food in on the succeeding day, 

 having few qualms of conscience to prevent their enjoying the victuals, 

 prepared on a spot, the associations attendant on which might be con- 

 sidered too revolting to dwell upon. The parties of Thugs being often 

 very large, they have many beasts of burden in their train, as bullocks, 

 tattoos, and sometimes even camels. If they remain at a place, where 

 they have committed a murder, and do not construct fire-places, they 

 take the precaution of tying their cattle on the spot. The Thugs say 

 they can always recognize the fire-places of their own class, there 

 being peculiar marks about them, which are made to serve as direc- 

 tions to the next party that passes that way. 



The Thugs always prefer burying their victims at some distance 

 from the public road ; and, therefore, as soon as the bodies of mur- 

 dered persons have been stripped of the property found upon them, 

 they are carried, on the shoulders of the Suggaees, to the spot selected 

 for interring them. They say they are more careless about the con- 

 cealment of corpses in the Nizam's country, than elsewhere, for they 

 have always been so secure from molestation, that they have fre- 

 quently left bodies exposed, without running any risk, for no one takes 

 the trouble of enquiring about the matter. 



The division of spoil does not usually take place immediately after 

 the perpetration of a murder, but every person secures a portion of the 

 property on the spot, and, when a convenient opportunity occurs, each 

 produces the articles he has been the hearer of, and a division is made 

 by the Jemadars, whose share is, in the first instance, deducted. Then 

 the Buttoats, the Sumsooahs and Bhug Duriahs, claim the extra 

 reward for each murder they have assisted at. The Suggaee takes his 

 reward for the trouble he had in digging the grave, and the residue is 

 divided, share and share alike, among the whole gang. It may be sup- 

 posed that the cupidity of individual Thugs may, occasionally, induce 

 them to attempt to defraud their comrades, by secreting any articles of 

 value, at the time the murdered bodies are plundered. But, they say, 

 that the whole class are bound by an inviolable oath, to produce, for 

 appropriation to the common stock, every thing that may fall into their 

 hands, while engaged with a particular party. The division of plun- 

 der, as maybe supposed, often leads to the most violent disputes, which 

 it is astonishing do not end in bloodshed. But, it might almost be sup- 

 posed theThugs have a prejudice against spilling blood, for, if pursued, 

 they refrain from making use of the weapons they usually bear, even 

 in defence of their own persons. 



The most wanton prodigality occurs when plunder is divided; and 



